This morning, Pastor Davis Morgan from our sister church, Westside PCA, here in town, is going to bring God's word to us.
And so, Davis, welcome.
New Testament reading is found in 1 Timothy chapter 3.
1 Timothy chapter 3, verses 14 through 16.
So great to be with you again.
Cheyenne Mountain.
And I believe I was here on November 1st.
And that was the Sunday that we started 1 Timothy at Westside Church.
We have wrapped up that book.
But one of my favorite passages is verses 14 through 16 in chapter 3 of 1 Timothy.
And so, I thought I would bring that word to you today as we draw near to the end of 2020.
So, hear the word of our Lord, His holy, His inspired word that He has kept and preserved for us, His people, today.
1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 14 and following.
The Apostle Paul writes,
This is the word of God.
Amen.
Let us pray for our time in His word.
Join with me, please.
Lord God, we thank you for this time that we have, that you have in your great providence you have ordained for us,
that we would be here this day to sit under the preaching of your word.
God, we confess as your people.
We confess as those who perhaps are here that are not part of your people.
But you are drawing to yourself.
Lord, we all have in common our need for your spirits and our need for you to reveal the glorious gospel of your Son.
Amen.
We pray, we ask for this.
We ask for the gift of understanding, of illumination, of knowledge of who Jesus Christ is.
We also pray for the little theologians that are here.
Lord, the children that are sitting under the preaching of your word.
We pray that you too would work in their hearts to give them understanding of these things.
Take the things of Christ and make them real to us here today.
We pray in His holy name.
Amen.
In the darkness, something was happening at last.
A voice had begun to sing.
It seemed to come from all directions at once.
Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself.
There were no words.
There was hardly even a tune.
But it was beyond comparison.
The most beautiful noise they had ever heard.
Those present looked above them and saw the blackness filled with stars.
And each of them were singing as well.
But the voice of the stars grew fainter as the voice of the one singing drew near.
Wind came rushing.
The blackness of the sky turned to gray.
Hills began to stand up around them.
The sky changed to pink and then to a brilliant gold.
And as soon as the voice swelled to the mightiest sound it could produce, the sun rose over the hills.
And from the sun's light, they all could see the source of the singing.
A large golden lion standing in the middle of the valley.
With each step, the singing lion took with its large paws trees and mountains and animals and rivers and flowers
and all sorts of lovely things were bursting forth into existence until finally all was created.
Narnia had been created by the voice of the lion.
Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake, love, think, speak, be walking trees, be talking beasts, be divine waters.
Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, Narnia.
This scene is from C.S. Lewis' The Magician's Nephew.
And it brilliantly captures the creation story.
Written in such a way as to capture the compelling nature of what Christianity is from beginning to end.
And that is a story.
It's the story of all stories.
It's the greatest story ever told.
because as J.R.R. Tolkien told his good friend Jack Lewis,
his friend Jack Lewis, who at the time was struggling to believe such a story,
Tolkien said, quote,
This story has entered history and become the primary story.
That's what sets it apart from all other stories.
Other stories may talk a big game,
but when the time comes when they are measured up against God's story,
they fold every time.
This is why the British playwright and author Dorothy Sayers called the Christian story,
quote,
The most exciting drama that ever staggered the imagination of man.
And the meaning of it all, she says,
the dogma, what it means, she said very famously,
is the drama.
The doctrine or the dogma is the drama.
Who God is and what he has done in history,
recorded for us in Scripture,
is the most thrilling and the most exciting story that you and I will ever encounter
because this story has happened in time and space.
It has happened in history,
which is a good reminder for us.
It's a great reminder for us who sit here this morning
under the preaching of this story
on the last Sunday of the year.
And what a year it has been.
A global pandemic,
shutdowns,
mask mandates,
social distancing,
civil, social, political unrest.
If anything sums up 2020,
it's unrest.
It's uncertainty.
And it's a very stark reminder
for us not to hold on to the things of this present age
because they can be turned upside down in a moment.
They can be taken away just like that.
With such uncertainty and unrest,
we might be tempted to think
that there really is no certainty,
that there really is no truth to hold on to.
Or at the very least,
the truth that I decide to believe in
is what Carl Truman calls,
quote,
the triumph of the therapeutic self.
In other words,
whatever I feel is true.
But as you well might imagine,
that's even a more shaky ground.
That's even more unstable to stand on.
Because as my wife could tell you,
as long as I have my coffee
first thing in the morning,
I'm a happy guy.
But if I'm hungry,
if I'm tired,
or if I've only had one cup of coffee,
I can be quite unpleasant.
Or my feelings may tell me one thing.
My kids haven't emptied the dishwasher
after I asked them five minutes to go.
Therefore,
I'm angry.
When in reality,
they simply didn't hear me
say for them to empty the dishwasher.
They got distracted by a phone call
from their grandmother.
My feelings may tell me to be angry,
but I'm missing crucial information
that would say,
there's no need to be angry.
What I'm saying is this,
while our feelings are important,
and they are,
in terms of sustaining us
in the midst of uncertainty,
they're unreliable.
And here's what I have for you today.
Something from outside of us.
Something that is imperishable,
undefiled, unfading,
that's kept in heaven for you.
Something that cannot be shaken,
because it is made possible,
it is guaranteed by the one
who is infinite,
eternal,
and unchangeable.
that though the mountains
may be moved
into the heart of the sea,
though the waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble
at the swelling,
we will not fear,
for our God is our refuge.
Our God is our strength,
and through His Son,
He is able to save you and I,
Hebrews chapter 7 says,
to the uttermost,
to the uttermost.
This refuge in Christ
is what Martin Luther called
our mighty fortress,
a bulwark,
a foundation that is never failing.
Luther was reflecting upon Psalm 46,
and in our text this morning,
1 Timothy 3, 14 and 16,
but particularly verse 16,
Paul is reflecting,
Paul too is reflecting upon
that same surety,
that same foundation,
that certainty that we have
in Jesus.
And here's what we learn
in 1 Timothy chapter 3,
that not only do we have
this foundation,
but that we as the church,
we are the fortress,
we are the guardian
of that truth.
We guard it,
we defend it,
we use it to defeat
the strongholds of the enemy,
as Paul says
in 2 Corinthians chapter 10.
The weapons that we have
are not of the flesh,
but have divine power
to destroy those arguments,
those lofty opinions
that are raised up
against the knowledge of God,
that are raised up
against the truth of God,
that he has sovereignly revealed
in his word
for you and for me.
So,
we're going to unpack this
by looking at Paul's instructions
to Timothy and the church.
1 Timothy 3,
verses 14 through 16.
And I want to point you
to three aspects.
I want to point you
to the story,
I want to point you
to the dogma,
and I want to point you
to the life
that results from that.
The story,
we're referring to
the action of God,
the dogma,
we're talking about
the meaning
of what God has done,
and the life
is the practice,
the response
that we are to have
to what God has done.
Now,
for you little theologians,
for the kids
that are here today,
here's what I like
for you to draw,
kids,
if it's okay
with your parents.
I like you to draw
a scene
from your favorite story,
your favorite story.
For me,
this time of year,
I love
Charles Dickens'
A Christmas Story,
or A Christmas Carol,
A Christmas Story,
that's on TNT.
A Christmas Carol.
I try to read that
every year
around this time.
So,
for you kids,
I want you to draw
a picture
of your favorite story
or your favorite book
that you like to read
or that you like
to have read to you.
And here are the two questions,
kids,
that I'd like you
to listen for,
that I'd like you
to answer today.
One,
what is the Christian story?
And two,
why do we need
to know this story?
What is the Christian story,
and why do we need
to know the Christian story?
Now,
first,
we're going to,
we're going to start
in verse 16
and then move back
and finish with verse 14.
So,
look with me first
at the story
of Scripture
that's found
in verse 16.
Paul says
in 1 Timothy 3, 16,
great indeed
is the mystery
of godliness.
Now,
why is Paul saying this?
What Paul is alluding here to
is twofold.
He's alluding to
the pagan mystery
religions
or cults
of the ancient world,
and in particularly,
he is alluding to
or referencing
the confession
that was there
in Ephesus
at the time
in the first century.
If you remember
the story
in Acts chapter 19
when Paul was in Ephesus,
he turned the entire city
upside down
by preaching the gospel,
and he performed
an exorcism
on a girl,
a slave girl
there in the market.
she was possessed
by a demon,
and Paul,
he exercised
that demon.
He demonstrated
the power
of the gospel
over the pagan
mystery religions
of the time,
and the city's
response to this
was great hostility
to the apostle,
and it says there
in Acts 17
or Acts 19
that the entire city
had gathered
in the amphitheater
there in Ephesus,
and they were chanting,
great is Artemis
of the Ephesians.
And so here,
Paul is both,
he is referencing
those two
common beliefs,
common creeds
or confessions
of Ephesus
at the time
because this letter
was written
to Timothy
in Ephesus,
and he's alluding
to what the culture
then held
to be sacred,
and he's shedding light
on what is truly sacred,
and that is what God
says,
what God has done
and revealed
to the world
because after he says
great indeed
is the mystery
of godliness,
he unfolds
what this mystery is.
It's that God
has moved towards us.
We cannot move
towards him
in our sin,
but he has moved
towards us.
God has acted
in history.
This God,
the living God
that he says
in verse 15,
he is the foundation
of all religion.
He is the foundation
of all worship,
all piety,
all devotion,
and Paul wants us
to understand
that if we miss this,
then we miss him.
We miss ultimate reality.
We miss essentially
everything
if we miss this God.
You want to know
what is truly great
and stunning
in the world to see.
While we might
look out these windows
and be amazed
by the mountains,
or earlier this week,
we may be amazed
when the planets align
and we are moved
to awe and wonder.
What is truly great
and truly stunning,
friends,
is what Paul says
this mystery
of godliness is.
The mystery meaning
it was once hidden.
It was once hidden
to us.
It was once hidden
to us in our darkness,
in the darkness of sin.
And God now
has revealed,
revealed this
to the world.
He has revealed
what Gerhardus Voss
said,
the chief actor
in this drama
has come upon
the scene.
The chief actor
has stepped
into history.
And you'll notice
there,
after he says,
great indeed
is the mystery
of godliness,
he then presents
this in poetic form.
Poetic form
in verse 16.
And what we can gather
from this text,
from other texts
like Philippians 2,
5-11,
for example,
you may know
that passage,
or Colossians 1,
15-20.
These commentators
are convinced of
were early confessions
of the church.
Which means
what we're reading here
in all likelihood
goes back
to the very first
generation of disciples,
the very first
generation of the church,
those who walked
with Jesus
when he was here
on earth.
And that makes
what we see
in this early creed,
this early confession,
that much more remarkable
because,
as New Testament scholar
Richard Baucom,
he says,
quote,
the earliest Christology
already was the highest
Christology of the church.
That's what we see
in 1 Timothy 3, 16.
The earliest belief
about who Jesus
is,
and Jesus,
when he came
into this world,
was already
the highest belief
that you could have.
And we find
here in this passage
the exaltation
of Jesus Christ.
What great comfort
that is for us,
is it not?
What great comfort
to know that
from the very beginning,
the church knew
who Jesus was
and what he had
come to do.
And they are
confessing this
for us
so that future
generations
know who Jesus
was
and what he came
for.
So for us today,
friends,
this is God's
gracious reminder
to us
about the foundation,
the rock,
the certainty
that we have
this mystery
of godliness
that he has revealed.
And what has he revealed?
First,
we see the incarnation.
We see the incarnation.
Paul says
he was manifested
in the flesh.
He was justified
in the spirit.
This is the revelation
of the Son of God.
This is the revelation
of God
in the flesh.
The Word became flesh,
John 1.
And this is the revelation
of what Paul has already
said in 1 Timothy.
He said in chapter 1,
it was the words
of comfort and promise
we heard in our prayer
of confession
that Christ Jesus
came into the world
to save sinners.
In chapter 2,
Paul said
that he is
the God-man,
that he is
the unique,
the only mediator
between us
and a holy God.
He is the only one
of his kind.
He is,
as one commentator said,
quote,
he is man to God
and he is God to man.
He is man to God
and he is God to us.
And mediator,
mediator is the image
of,
when we think about
mediator kids,
think about an oven mitt
that you would use
to pull something hot
out of the oven,
like fresh baked
chocolate chip cookies.
If you don't use
that oven mitt
and you go to grab
the tray out of the oven,
it will burn your hand
because you cannot,
you cannot touch
the temperature
of the oven
is too hot
for us.
But if you put
on that oven mitt,
it mediates
between the heat
and your flesh.
And that is what
Jesus Christ is
as our mediator.
He is the one
who makes us
acceptable to God.
He is the one
that reconciles us
to God.
We can be
in the presence of God.
We can confess
our sins to him
as we did earlier
and we can trust,
we can bank
on the promise
of 1 John 1
that God is faithful,
God is just
to cleanse us
and to forgive us
of all unrighteousness
because Jesus Christ
is the only mediator
between God
and us.
Second,
we see the resurrection.
It says there
that he was seen
by angels,
he was proclaimed
or preached
on into the world.
This is the
proclamation
of this mystery
of godliness,
this God-man
who has stepped
into the world.
You'll notice
that there is no
reference to
the crucifixion.
And this is intentional
on Paul's part.
This is intentional
on the early church's part
because what are they doing?
They are emphasizing
the exaltation
of Christ.
They are emphasizing
the glory,
the glory of Christ
over all other claims,
all other claims
of the pagan religions
then
and all claims
of pagan religions
now as well.
Now, what do I mean
by that?
Anything that attempts
to raise itself
against the knowledge
of God
and the exaltation
of his son,
of this mystery
of godliness
that has been revealed
to the world
by definition
according to the New Testament
is pagan.
It's a pagan religion
and it is to be rejected.
As a matter of fact,
in 1 Peter 2,
God says that all other claims
will essentially be crushed
by this cornerstone
that God himself
has laid
as the foundation
of his house,
his son,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
So do not fear,
friends.
Do not let your faith
be rocked
because all other claims
will be crushed
to pieces.
We are to reject them
because they are
they are attempting
to usurp
what God has revealed,
what God has done.
You may be thinking,
well, how can you say that?
How can you say that?
To which I would say,
I'm not saying it.
God is saying it.
I am simply
the messenger.
God doesn't want you
or I to misunderstand
or misrepresent
his message.
Great indeed
is the mystery
of godliness.
And here's exactly
what it is.
That the Son of God
has come in the flesh.
That the Son of God
has overcome death.
And that the Son of God
has ascended back
to glory.
And we see that
in the ascension.
And that is the final
stanza of it.
Paul says that
he was believed on
in the world.
He was taken up
in glory.
This stands.
This stands as the summit,
the peak,
the apex.
The apex of God's
dealing in history,
friends.
That Christ was taken up
in glory.
He was crowned
with glory and honor
that's only reserved
for God alone.
And this is the message.
This is the message
that you and I,
that we are entrusted with
as the church.
This is the message
that we guard.
And it's the message
that we also proclaim
and we defend.
Because as Paul says there,
this is the message
that has been believed on
in the world.
This is the message
that changes the hearts
of you and I.
Now what does this mean
for us as a church?
What does this mean
for us as the people of God?
This is the dogma.
The dogma.
The meaning of it all.
This hymn, friends,
is inviting you and I.
It's inviting all of us
in this room this morning
to reflect upon
what Paul is saying here.
It's inviting you and I
to consider the implications
for you and I.
How does the incarnation
of Jesus,
how does the resurrection
of Jesus,
how does the ascension
or the exaltation
of Jesus,
how does that pervade
my thinking
on a daily basis?
How can you and I
live in the present age
with a mind knowing
that there is an age
to come?
An age that will transcend
everything I know
in this present fallen age.
You see,
what this is inviting us
to today
today
is to be reminded
of this
as we go into 2021.
That nothing has changed
for you and I
in Christ.
If anything,
we are that much closer.
We are that much closer
to glory.
Amen?
We are indeed.
This hymn
is designed to ground us
in that reality.
The reality
that we're fallen
in Adam,
but that Christ
came to save
sinners.
Christ came
to save sinners.
And little theologians,
you can be sure
of that.
The story,
the story
is that we rebelled
and we attempted
to kick God
out of his garden.
And yet,
he moved
towards us
in grace
and in judgment.
Because
this
mystery
of godliness,
this one
who was revealed
in the flesh,
ultimately would enter
the garden
a second time,
would he not?
Only this time,
it wasn't the garden
of Eden.
It was the garden
of Gethsemane.
And this time,
Jesus,
the son of God,
he was faithful
unto an agonizing death
on a Roman cross.
And he
bore our sins
in his body
on the tree.
Our shame,
our guilt.
That sin,
that sin
that is between you
and your spouse
here this morning
in your marriage.
The sin
that you
are struggling
with
in your parenting,
perhaps.
Or kids,
the sin
that you are committing
against your brothers
and sisters.
Or that you are committing
against your parents.
or the sin
that dwells
in each and every
single one
of our hearts
in this room.
That shame
that we cannot
feel
that we can confess
to God
or we can confess
to someone else.
That is the sin,
friends.
That is the shame
that he bore
on the tree.
He bore it
as your substitute,
as my substitute.
And in the process
he experienced
the full wrath,
the full wrath
of his father.
All of that,
all of that,
crystal clear,
guaranteed
that you can trust it,
that you can bank on it.
It really happened.
When I read this passage
I think about
the end
of A Christmas Carol
after Ebenezer Scrooge
has woken up
and he asked
the question,
was it all
too good
to be true?
Was it all
too good
to be true?
Was his redemption
too good
to be true?
Was it simply
a dream?
And then Scrooge
says there,
it's all right.
It all happened.
It's really true.
Right here
in 1 Timothy
chapter 3
we have the early church
essentially saying
that to you and I.
it all really happened.
It's all
really true.
Great
is the mystery
of godliness
Paul says.
This is what God
has done
emphatically
in history
for all
all of us
who will hear this
and believe this
friends.
It is meant
to help
recalibrate
our hearts
our minds
to this
not just
during this season
of Advent
and Christmas
but every
single day
of our lives
so that we
are not
shaken
we are not
rocked
but we are
firmly established
in the faith
here and now
so that
as he says
in verse 14
you and I
might know
how to behave
in the household
of God
which is the church
of the living God.
This is the third
point.
The life
shaped by scripture.
The word
for household
there
it's an interesting
word that Paul
uses here.
It's the same
root
of a word
that he used
in 1 Timothy
chapter 1
verse 4
where there
he talked
about
that what
Timothy
was to
preach
what Timothy
was to teach
what we are
to preach
and teach
in the church
is the stewardship
from God
that is by faith.
It's the same
word for stewardship
it's the same
root here
or root
of the word
that he uses
here for household
and what
what Paul
is is getting
at
is that
just as
the message
the doctrine
the teaching
is from God
as he says
in chapter 1
so too
is the church
that you and I
are of God
that the church
is born of the same
sovereign grace
that saved
you and I
to begin with.
the church
is God's
household
it's God's
household
and this is
this is amazing
language
given
given the first
century
given the ancient
world
Paul is using
this as a
as a term
for royalty
as a term
for of course
a familial
relationship
that we enjoy
both with
both with the
father
and the son
and we enjoy
with one another
as well.
This is
truly truly
remarkable
as historian
Tom Holland
said in his
book Dominion
he talks about
that this
this concept
was so
incredibly
foreign
to the ancient
world
this concept
of God
being father
Jesus
being son
we be members
of the same
household of God
being family
and yet it's
this concept
that went out
from the world
and changed
turned the world
upside down
the pagan world
upside down
now this
household
is what
you and I
are called
to participate
in
we're called
to participate
in it
now how do
we do that
the main way
the primary way
we do that
is what we are
doing here today
being called
out of the world
to come and sit
to receive
from God
his means of grace
to receive
his pardon
for our sins
to sing
his praises
in response
to who God
is
we are to
confess our sins
we are to give
of our tithes
and offerings
we are to
confess the faith
that we have been
confessing as a church
for 2000 years
we are to sit
under the preaching
of his word
his primary means
of grace
and then
the Lord's Supper
baptism
the benediction
all of these things
God blessing
us as his people
again and again
and again
so that we are
built up
in holiness
we are built up
in godliness
and this is our
calling as his people
is it not
our calling
is to pursue
this God
our calling
is to pursue
godliness
pursue godliness
having our minds
transformed
having our bodies
set as living sacrifices
holy and acceptable
to him
having our hearts
our hearts
interacting with
God's truth
God's revelation
in his word
of who Jesus Christ
is
this is what we are
called to
as his people
this is ultimately
friends
what
Christianity
is truly
about
little theologians
know this
kids
that Christianity
isn't merely
a religion
it is a religion
who brings you
back
to your heavenly
father
and to your
blessed
big brother
the Lord Jesus
Christ
this is ultimately
what God
was doing
in revealing
his son
to the world
so that you and I
might be reconciled
back to him
and you and I
might be
might be at home
with him
in his household
and this is the
ministry friends
that as a church
we are entrusted
with
we proclaim
this message
we defend it
we protect it
Paul calls us
the buttress
or the fortress
of the truth
and don't miss that
he doesn't say
the fortress
of a truth
he says
the fortress
of the truth
the truth
it's because
this is
to be found
nowhere else
except in God's
household
this message
to the world
salvation
has come
this is our
great confession
friends
handed down
to us
by our
spiritual
ancestors
great indeed
we confess
is the mystery
of godliness
great indeed
is our God
friends
amen
he has provided
everything that you
and I need
for life and godliness
do not fear
but look to him
when on the day
the great I am
the faithful
and the true
the lamb
who was for
sinners slain
is making
all things new
behold
our God
shall live
with us
and be
our steadfast
light
and we
shall
air
his people
be
all glory
be to Christ
all glory
be to Christ
our king
all glory
be to Christ
his rule
and reign
will ever sing
all glory
be to Christ
that is the end
of the story
that is already
written
it is
kept in heaven
for you
and that is a promise
that you can trust
today
the grass withers
and the flowers fade
but the word
of our lord
stands forever
and thanks be to him
amen
let's pray
God we thank you
we thank you for this word
we thank you
Lord
in times
of uncertainty
of unrest
Lord
that each and every one of us
have experienced
this year in particular
perhaps more so
than
in any other time
of recent memory
in our lives
Lord
we are so thankful
that we are part
of your household
the fortress
of the truth
we thank you
for that
we thank you
for the story
that you have
written
Lord Jesus
the story
that you have
acted
that you have
taken upon
yourself
Lord
the story
that you sweep
us up into
and you make us
your very own
we thank you
for the dogma
we thank you
for the meaning
of the story
that we can
understand
what it all
means
and Lord
we thank you
for the new life
that we have
by the power
of your spirit
our union
with Jesus
we are united
to him
by faith
and faith alone
and Lord
you lead us on
to that great city
all glory be to you
we pray
amen